Collapsible-tube holder



5. W. LAWTQN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HOLDER Feb. 15 1927.

Filed July 31, 1926 2 ts $heet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Feb. 15 1927.

s. w. LAWTON COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HOLDER Filed July 31, 1,926 2 Shana-Sheet 2 a d H. 46 45 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

STANLEY w. LAWTON, on NEW 11031:, n. Y.

COLLAPSIBLE-TUBE HOLDER.

Application filed. July 31,

My invention relates to apparatus for holding collapsible tubes of tooth paste, toilet cream, shaving cream or other plastic or semi-plastic materials.

The main object is to provide a convenient and sanitary means for ejecting the contents from such tube. Many attemptshave been made in the past to provide supports for collapsible tubes or automatic or semi-automatic mechanism for compressing the tubes but all of such devices so far as I am aware are impractical for one reason or another. One of my objects is to'provide mechanism sufiiciently simple and reliable to appeal to the ordinary user.

Another object is to provide a form of mechanism into which the tube may be readily inserted and from which the exhausted tube may be readily removed.

Another object is to provide'means for automatically feeding the compressing means.

The invention in its complete form contemplates a casing in which the collapsible tube is mounted and a pair of" gripping or compressing jaws adapted to operate on the opposite sides of the tube. Means is provided, operable by the hand or finger, for operating these jaws to compress the tube.

he jaws are mounted so as to be fed downward by gravity.

Fig. 1 is a front View of one form of apparatus embodying my invention, the cover being open. I

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view and side elevation, the cover of the casing being closed.

Fig. 2 is ing gears.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section and plan on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a section and plan showing the slide for holding the neck or nozzle of the tube.

Fig. 4 is a front view showing another a detail plan view of the operat- -form of my invention, the cover or door being open.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view and side elevation of the same, the cover being closed.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same.

I Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 77 of Fig. .5.

The body 10 of the casing may be of any form and material. The cover 11 is preferably hinged at 12 and provided with some suitable form of catch 13. Inside the cas- 1926. Serial No. 126,161.

ing are two vertical guide rods 14 and 15 on which the frame 16 is adapted to slide. The jaws 17 and 18 are hinged to this frame and have a. passage 19 between them which is open at the front to receive the tube 20. These jaws are so formed as to apply a gradual squeezing pressure to the tube as they are swung toward each other. The jaws may be operated in various ways to compress the tube. For instance, in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and .3 a vertical cam member 21 is pivoted in the casing and adapted to engage the extension 22 on one of the jaws. This cam member may be operated in various ways as, for instance, by means of a slide 23 having a rack 24 meshing with a gear 25 on the upper end of the cam shaft 21. This slide 23 may have a finger or thumb piece 26. A helical spring 27 serves to return the slide to its normal outwardly projecting position when it is released; and the meshing of the rack 24: and gear 25 rotates the cam shaft 21. The jaw 18 has an arm 28 at'the rear beneath the arm 29 at the rear of the jaw 17. A leaf spring 30 presses down on the arm 29 and indirectly on the arm 28 so as to hold the jaws in their normally retracted or spread position. When the cam shaft 21 is oscillated it presses against the extension 22 on the jaw 18 so as to press against that side of the tube. The arm 28 at the rear of the jaw 18 being simultaneously lifted transmits" a similar motion through the arm 29 to the jaw 17 so that the jaws operate together. When the pressure on the plunger 23 is released and the spring 27 returns the plunger and the cam shaft 21 to the normal position of rest, the spring 30 pressing down on the arm 29 retract-s the jaws and allows the slide 16 and the jaws and attached parts to drop downwardly and re-engage the tube 20. Although the jaws and slide feed downward by gravity it should be understood that the invention will not be avoided by adding a spring to aid in the downward movement.

The exit from the tube 20 may be controlled in any suitable manner as, for in stance, by a valve or out off 31 hinged at 32.

The spring pressed slide 33 at the bottom of the case grips the rear of the threaded nozzle or neck of the tube so as to hold the tube in position. By pressing on the front end of the slide 33 the tube may be released.

In the form shown in Sheet 2 the casing 35 has a cover 36. Guide rods 37 and 38 are mounted in the back of the casing. The slide 39 is guided on the rods 37 and 38. The jaws 40 and 41 are hinged to the slide 39 and provided with overlapping arms 42 and 43.

A cam member 44 is pivoted in the to and bottom of the casing and engages the lbwer edge of the .jaw 40. This cam member is provided with a forward projecting arm with a finger piece 45 for moving it in one dlrection and a spring 46 for moving it in the op osite direction. An abutment finger piece 4 may be provided to facilitate operation. To operate the jaws 40, 41, it is simply necessary to grasp the finger pieces 47, 45 between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand and press the finger piece 45 toward 47. This rocks the cam shaft 44 and moves the eccentric'jaw 40 toward the tube. Simultaneously motion is transmitted from jaw 40 through the extension 42 to extension 43 and jaw 41 to force the latter toward the tube and thus squeeze the tube between the jaws 40 and 41. The spring 48 serves to assistin retracting or returning the jaws in their normal spread position.

These casings are intended tobe secured to a wall in any suitable manner as for instance by means of screws in the openings 49, 50 or otherwise.

It should be understood that other changes in construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A, collapsible tube holder comprising vertical guide rods, supporting means therefor, a shde mounted on said rods, eccentric jaws hinged to said slide and having a pas sage between them for a tube and means carried by the supporting means for opening and closing sai jaws.

2. A holder for a collapsible tube comprising a casing, a vertical guide supported in said casing, a slide mounted to move verticallyon said guide, two oppositely disposed gripping jaws hinged to said slide and having eccentric squeezing shoulders, means to operate said jaws to press said shoulders against the opposite sides of a tube when the tube is held between them, said jaws and slide being fed downward by gravity when released, and spring means for moving said aws. I 1 3. A collapsible tube holder comprising a casing, a vertically movable carrier mounted in said casing, guiding means for said carrier, oppositely disposed jaws on said carrier having eccentric gripping surfaces adapted to engage the opposite sides of a collapsible tube, means for manually operating said jaws to gradually press upon the opposite sides of the tube and a spring coacting with the jaws for retracting said jaws.

4. A collapsible tube holder comprising a vertically movable slide, a guide therefor. a support for said guide, two jaws hinged to and movable with said slide and adapted to compress a tube between them, manually controlled means carried by said support for moving one of said jaws, means for trans mitting motion from one jaw to the other and a spring coacting with one of said jaws for retracting one of said jaws.

5. A colla sible tube holder. comprising a slide, a guidb therefor, a support for said guide, a pair of jaws hingedto said slide and having a passage between them for a tube, means of connection between said jaws for transmitting motion from one to the other and independent s ring means coacting with one of said jaws or retracting each of said jaws.

6. A collapsible tube holder comprising guides, a slide movable thereon, means for supportingsaid guides, jaws hinged to said slide, manually controlled means for operating said jaws to gradually apply compressive force to a tube between them and spring actuated means coacting with said jaws for retracting said jaws.

'7. A collapsible tube holder comprising a casing having an o ening at the bottom, eccentric jaws hinge ly sup orted within the casing for compressing t e tube when its neck is in said opening, a latch for engaging and locking the neck of the tube in said opening and a valve for controlling the outlet from said neck.

8. A holder for a collapsible tube comprising a support for the neck of a tube, a guide, a slide mounted on said guide and movable toward and from said support, two angular jaws pivoted to said slide and adapted to engage the opposite sides of a. tube when its neck is supported in said su port, a finger lever, and means between sai lever and said jaws for swinging said jaws to press said tube without moving said lever.

STANLEY W. LAWTON. 

